SEO Adapts To Google Hummingbird Algorithm

So Google like to scare SEO experts with their new algorithm updates and reworks and since every time there are major changes in rank, most people in this line of work are on edge when it comes to Google’s algorithms, especially since Hummingbird is as fundamental as it is. In fact, Hummingbird is one of the most major changes in the algorithm ever! So you can understand why SEO gurus and webmasters are getting scared. There isn’t a lot of information about this – just what Google want you to know (which is, like I said, not much) but it’s enough to realize everything is about to change. Everything should change and you should adapt. Well, if you haven’t already, that is. The truth is, the people really good at their jobs are rarely getting sanctioned by Google – au contraire – they are being rewarded. If you comply with Google’s specifications and requirements and basically provide interesting and relevant content, then you will be just fine. If you don’t, however, then you better start soon because your life just became a lot harder.

What is Hummingbird?

Hummingbird is an algorithmic change that allows the search engine to process complex queries in a full capacity. This means that the dominant form will no longer be searching for keywords and ignoring large chunks of what was actually written in the search bar, but instead trying to understand the relationship between words, understand sentences, the meaning behind the query and effectively giving the best possible search results based on this. Basically, Google is becoming self-aware.

Why are they doing this? Most of us desktop users are used to typing keywords, so why the change? Well, that may be the case for most of us, but the issue at hand is that the Internet is no longer the dominion of desktop users. Mobile users are the rulers, now. That’s most sites nowadays have a responsive web design and why Google are changing so they can better accommodate people who are searching via the voice interface. Yup, that’s one of the reasons behind this update. Naturally, when people are using speech in order to search, they are using natural language, not keywords. And since Google wants to be the king of that market, as well (let’s not forget search results are a product), they are doing everything they can in order to provide the best services.

How can you adapt?

Basically, now that you know what Hummingbird is you should be able to adapt to it pretty quickly, right? I mean, all you really have to do is write good, relevant, helpful, organic content humans can appreciate and possibly link to so you get higher in the rankings. Don’t work the keywords anymore, work the content itself. You have to give answers to the questions and you have to provide relevant solutions if you want to be successful. Otherwise, if you continue the same way you are now, you are risking to fall into the abyss of 50+ pages in the search results, and trust me – that is the one place you really don’t want to be in.

Google has always been for good, high-quality content so if you’d been doing this up until the current moment, you should be fairly fine. There shouldn’t be too many changes in the status quo because Google have always been particular about the fact that they want you to provide relevance and quality, so if you’d been doing that, you should be absolutely fine. Of course, if you’d used Black Hat and other shady techniques, now is the time to stop and rethink your life, because this is not the way to go. You have been warned. Adaption is survival.